had held out in 2004 at that famous convention speech of bringing south africa together, adopting a policy of reconciliation at a time when there was such tremendous bitterness built up over decades and decades of conflict. it was a titanic achievement for a leader, for a statesman, and that's why so many people looked up to nelson mandela. >> you know, as you pointed out earlier today, one of the remarkable things in his epic life is when he came to power, he was a man without spite or -- though he certainly must have had some anger, he did not act upon that anger. he was a conciliator. he brought people from the former apartheid government into his own circle of advisors and in some cases, opponents into the government there. he was, to my thinking, both his nation's george washington and its abraham lincoln. >> there's no question. you know, the power of the state and the way the state used its power for so long in south africa was so oppressive and it stirred such anger and bitterness and hatred that it is a miracle, really, that you had a leader who was able not to act on that,